How to Use assertive in a Sentence

assertive

adjective
Definition of assertivenext
Synonyms for assertivenext
  • If you want people to listen to your opinions, you'll need to learn to be more assertive.
  • Their daughter is an assertive little girl.
  • Daily newspaper in Chicago metro region seeks aggressive, assertive crime reporter who thrives on getting obligatory … items done fast in order to devote time to colorful stories about villains, victims and everything in between.
    — Editor & Publisher, 31 Oct. 1998
  • In the mouth a crisply acidic and assertive wine that is rich and plush on the cheeks.
    — Tom Mullen, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2021
  • This isn't the first time Charlotte has proved to be assertive.
    — Caroline Hallemann, Town & Country, 23 May 2018
  • And just try to be a little bit more assertive on my team.
    — Ira Winderman, sun-sentinel.com, 12 Nov. 2021
  • The Chargers’ first steps on their new turf were bold, assertive.
    — Mike Digiovanna, latimes.com, 13 Aug. 2017
  • Even the new, assertive Bates-Diop would still prefer things that way.
    — Bill Landis, cleveland.com, 13 Mar. 2018
  • And it was followed with words that were less assertive.
    — Eric Branch, SFChronicle.com, 17 Nov. 2020
  • But Gomez doesn’t need Martin or Short to teach her to be assertive on set.
    — Anne Cohen, refinery29.com, 17 Sep. 2021
  • Right now, this team needs Jalen to come off the bench and be that aggressive, that assertive.
    — Dom Amore, courant.com, 14 Nov. 2021
  • Once the honeymoon is over, though, be assertive about how much the friendship means to you.
    — Heather Havrilesky, The Cut, 25 Oct. 2017
  • Even so, an assertive stance behind your own ideas can be a great thing.
    — Tarot Astrologers, chicagotribune.com, 26 Aug. 2021
  • Jones has to be assertive and make good decisions for Xavier to be able to win this game.
    — Adam Baum, The Enquirer, 30 Mar. 2022
  • Rapinoe has made her name on the field as daring and assertive, one who plays with courage.
    — Ann Killion, SFChronicle.com, 4 Dec. 2019
  • Think of it as a more assertive and soulful cousin of thick yogurt or sour cream.
    — Washington Post, 12 Mar. 2021
  • And Simon pushed the faculty to take a more assertive role.
    — Jenna Johnson, Washington Post, 22 Dec. 2012
  • And the latest challenge isn’t from an assertive show of strength by Beijing.
    — Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 17 Aug. 2023
  • The key is to be assertive and authentic in your approach.
    — Valerie Mesa, Peoplemag, 3 July 2024
  • One area where Adams has been more assertive is policing.
    — Eric Lach, The New Yorker, 8 Jan. 2022
  • Though quite spicy and assertive, red onions are, to my palate, a bit sweeter than yellow ones.
    — WSJ, 11 Jan. 2023
  • This more assertive ratio brings a lot more flavor to the table.
    — Bon Appetit, 25 July 2017
  • Charles offered tricks of the trade and admonishments to know when to demand the ball and be more assertive.
    — Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 16 Jan. 2023
  • Even a goal down, though, City did not see the need to adopt a more assertive, more aggressive posture.
    — Rory Smith, New York Times, 9 May 2023
  • Countries in the area have reported what seems to be a more assertive China.
    — Fox News, 3 May 2021
  • Such light means that Dewe Mathews’s colors are soft and rarely assertive.
    — Mark Feeney, BostonGlobe.com, 12 June 2019
  • Ayton was more assertive, aggressive and got on the boards.
    — Duane Rankin, The Arizona Republic, 19 Jan. 2023
  • He's become much more assertive, poised and polished, bringing a swagger to the court.
    — Richard Obert, azcentral, 19 Feb. 2020
  • As nude sunbathing entered the mainstream, naturists became more assertive.
    — Lauren Collins, The New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2024
  • But Xi Jinping, China’s most assertive leader in decades, has ramped up rhetoric and aggression against the democratic island, fueling tension across the strait and raising concerns for a military confrontation.
    — Wayne Chang, CNN, 14 Oct. 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'assertive.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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